The Weight of a Lifetime
by Special Agent TrebleClef Chase
Summary: Methinks this is my first AU fic! Seventeen years after a messy fight that tore them apart, Tony and Ziva are brought back together with a parking ticket.
1. Serendipity

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS... I know cry cry cry...

**AU fic! Bet you guys can't figure out the names of the OCs in this chapter, and how they're all connected.**

Sasha David had grown up without a father. Her mother had told her long ago that her father had never even met her. As Sasha stepped out of the steamy shower and out into her room, her mind could not help but wander to this assumption that she had made four years past, her father had left because Ziva was pregnant.

She couldn't wrap her mind around it, a man leaving her mother. As Sasha pulled her pink cashwere sweater over her leotard, she imagined her mother at seventeen, always a beautiful woman with her sleek dark brown hair and serious brown eyes, at the height of her glory days, she must've been a knockout. As she pulled her hair into a a ponytail and pulled her feet into her ballet slippers, she couldn't help but let these thoughts run through her mind as she examined her own reflection, her hair and skin similar to her mother's but a tall, graceful figure with piercing green eyes. Those must have been her father's.

In their car, running a little bit late to her ballet class, in an advanced school three towns over, Sasha voiced her long unanswered question. "Whatever happened to my dad?"

Ziva David looked at her daughter with a somewhat rueful smile. "I was seventeen years old, had ran away from Israel, was living with my cousins in Long Island. I was in my AP Calc class when I caught the eye of a georgous guy with green eyes and dirty blonde hair. I turned back to my textbook and stole my little glances while he was scribbling something on a piece of paper. Suddenly a paperball hit me in the back of the head. It read 'Will you go out with me on Friday?' And so I said yes. From then on, it was a whirlwind romance.

We both shared stories of abusive fathers and dead mothers. One night we, we took it to far. Two weeks later, I told Tony I was pregnant." The beautiful Israeli woman stepped on the gas. Sasha spoke. "Did he leave you because of that?" Tears glistened in her eyes. Ziva frowned. "No honey. He tended to me for four months until I decided it was time to tell his father. I had not expected the rage that followed. This," she said, pointing to a scar on her forehead, "is my scar from that night. Tony had taken several punches from his father but when he was sufficiently beaten, his dad through a vase at me. The whole thing was a scar, similar to mine, on his family's honor. Just as I had taken a couple more hits, your father dragged me out of there. We ran for what seemed like miles until we finally reached a crystalline pond with grass surrounding it.

After both of us had our cries over the debacle, he held me in his arms and kissed my forehead. His last words to me," Ziva held back a sob at the painful memory, "'Zi, I'll never forget you. I have to go back home, I don't know what will happen, but always, always remember me.' And that was it, I never saw him again. I heard rumors that he was sent to a boarding school but I always had my suspicions that he was gone."

And at that, Ziva started to accelarate, realizing the time. Then she heard the sirens. _Oh crap, _she thought. The cop got out of the car as she pulled over. He was pretty hot, she admitted to herself. Although, the memories she had shared with her daughter then had turned her off to men at that moment.

Then he was there, and she gasped. "Tony." Sasha sat in the front seat with a befuddled expression. He smiled a billion dollar smile. "Ziva. Knew I recognized the insane driving." He took a breath, holding so much joy he could barely contain it. "Can't believe I found you...," he took a glance at Sasha, "Is she?" Ziva smiled. "Sasha, your daughter." He got down to buisness. "Why were you speeding Zi?" She laughed. "We were running late to her ballet class." He smiled that smile again. Well, I'll let you pass with a warning," another grin, Sasha was astonished at the quantity of those grins he had, "as long as you Ziva will get dinner with me at the Nomad's Diner at 5 tonight?" Ziva grinned in response. "Absolutely, Sasha was going to hang at her friend's tonight anyway."

They exchanged their grins as he left. After that Ziva could not stop smiling all the way to the ballet school.


	2. Second Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. I however own this fanfiction! You can't take that away from me!

**BACK from the depths of writer'sblockdom! **

Chapter 2: Second Chance

Ziva David had been sitting in the diner for thirty minutes. She knew how he operated, spontaneous and without a schedule, but it was getting ridiculous.

Just then he came through the doors with a stressed look on his face. He ran to the table. "I am so sorry. For some reason car accidents slow cops down more than the average person…" She laughed. "I missed you so much. Thirty minutes is nothing." He smiled. "What happened after I had to," He hesitated, his smile fading, "leave?"

She put her hand on top of his. "I cried for about two weeks straight. My cousin left me alone, made it so I was able to continue my studies at home. I just didn't want to see anyone. I felt a little more life in me when Sasha was born. But that all changed when I went back to school.

I came back to school, suddenly the _harlot._ I didn't sleep around. You were the only one, but I was still less than human in their eyes. I was hated among the majority of the girls and popular among the boys. One of the boys finally brought me to the level that I was suddenly a tramp in my own eyes. After that, I saw no reason to try to prove anything different. So then I earned my reputation. And worsened it. I slept with the majority of the senior class, even those with girlfriends. I was screwed up. My cousin cut me off, with bringing them home. After all, she had a nine-year old and Sasha to worry about.

One night, I had a pregnancy scare. That's what woke me up. I didn't want to explain to two kids why they had different fathers, and why they had never met them. I looked in the mirror and saw what I wanted to prove to my father, your father that I wasn't. After that, I swore off men.

I suffered through my senior year, eventually proving to everyone, as their valedictorian, that I was more. Lauren, my cousin died of breast cancer five years later, and then I was left to care for Sasha and Beth. "

He caught his breath. "Zi, that's terrible." She sighed. "Yeah, it was. But Sasha is a daily joy to me and Beth calls me daily. And now you're here. I can't really complain." He grinned. "I missed you so much." She smiled.

"We need to talk."

"We've needed to talk for a long time Ziva."

She sighed. "I know. I just, now that we're here again, we need to decide on our future."

He frowned. "I have a girlfriend Ziva." Her face dropped but she faked an unconvincing smile. "I love you, I always have, but it's just not fair to her."

"I totally understand. But I mean, Sasha has met you now, I couldn't keep you apart." Tony smiled briefly.

"She got anything important on Saturdays?"

Ziva smiled. "No. So, she'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

Saturday, Sasha arrived at her father's apartment. She was wearing her favorite cashmere sweater, skinny jeans and Uggs. He was wearing his best Levi's and his high school letter jacket. Tony invited her in. "I think we have a lot of catching up to do." She smiled politely and walked in.

He invited her to sit next to him on the couch. She did so and turned toward him. He started. "So how's school?" "Pretty good. I pretty much graduated sophomore year and now I'm going on AP overload. I have a pretty happenin' social life too."

He laughed. "I'm glad you like it so much. And your mother has mentioned ballet?" She grinned. "It's only every fiber of my being!" He laughed. "I was the rose, the lead in our last recital, I had an amazing solo."

"That's great! I remember your mom used to love ballet."

"Yeah, she's told me," Her smile faded, "Mom told me the story of how you had to leave, but I don't get it, Now you're reunited and you're not with her?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why?"

"I love your mom, I don't think I'll ever love anyone more, but I have a girlfriend. And sometimes, things are meant to happen the way they do."

"You're exactly right. That's why you got a second chance."

He smiled grimly at his obviously intelligent daughter. "So, what's been going on with you?

Later that evening Tony sat on his bed, exhausted from his bowling match with Sasha. The girl was bowling Strikes and Spares one after another and he was bowling gutter balls.

Her words were still running through his mind. _"That's why you got a second chance" _

The thought would not go away. He remembered that awful night. When he returned his father told him he was going to boarding school. Far Away.

He sat in his bedroom and cried. He was in love with her, and that child.

He was being whisked away from the two best things in his life, Ziva and the child he had already grown to love so much.

He swore that if he ever saw her again, had a second chance, he would take her into his arms and kiss her.

He swore he would never notice another woman, ever again.

He swore that he wouldn't rest until he made up for those years he was missing from their lives.

He swore that once he graduated he would marry her.

He swore.

It was high time he stopped letting that pure-hearted seventeen year old down and started living up to his goals.

Jeanne was gorgeous, smart, funny, all the things he loved in Ziva. But she wasn't. Not at all.

He needed to talk to her.

"Jeanne, we need to talk."

"I know this speech Tony; don't make me go through it again."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you have something to say, let there be no pretext."

"I love you Jeanne, but I can't do this anymore. "

"Date me?"

"Yes. When I was seventeen, I got my girlfriend pregnant. Not my greatest moment. But I never once regretted it. A seventeen year old man promised he would make things right and up until now, a thirty-four year old boy was breaking that promise. I've recently been given the opportunity to meet my daughter, and all I want is to do is be the best father I can to her."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Of course. "

He started out the door. "Oh, and Tony? I hope things work out with you and your new family."

He was going to miss her. "You're going to find someone Jeanne."


End file.
